Key takeaways:
Lisinopril (Zestril, Qbrelis) is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It helps lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and reducing fluid buildup.
Lisinopril is a common treatment for high blood pressure. It also has many other benefits, including improving heart failure symptoms and survival after a heart attack.
Lisinopril may have other possible benefits, including reducing Type 2 diabetes risk and helping with migraine prevention or male fertility. But more research is needed to confirm these potential benefits.
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Lisinopril (Zestril, Qbrelis) is best known as a medication for treating high blood pressure, but its benefits don’t stop there. This versatile medication belongs to the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor class, and it does more than simply relax blood vessels.
If you’re taking lisinopril, it could be doing more for your health than you realize. Here’s how lisinopril works and what else it’s used for.
What is lisinopril, and how does it work?
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that’s available as an oral pill and liquid solution. It’s commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure.
Lisinopril works by blocking an enzyme (protein) that helps produce angiotensin II, a hormone that causes blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to rise. It also lowers levels of aldosterone, a hormone that tells the kidneys to hold on to salt and water. By reducing these hormones, lisinopril relaxes blood vessels, decreases fluid buildup, and lowers blood pressure.
But lisinopril’s benefits go beyond blood pressure management alone. It’s also used to treat and possibly prevent several other health conditions. Here are seven FDA-approved or potential uses of lisinopril that you may not know about.
1. Improving survival after a heart attack
After a heart attack, your heart needs to work harder to pump blood. Lisinopril can help reduce that stress. In fact, starting an ACE inhibitor such as lisinopril shortly after a heart attack can reduce the risk of death and future heart problems.
For this reason, lisinopril is approved for use after a heart attack, and many people take it long term to protect their hearts.
2. Improving symptoms of heart failure
Lisinopril is approved to help manage certain types of heart failure. When you have heart failure, your heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. This can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling in the legs or belly.
Lisinopril works by relaxing your blood vessels and lowering the pressure on your heart. It also helps reduce extra fluid in your body. This can improve your symptoms and help you live longer.
3. Lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes
Lisinopril isn’t specifically approved to prevent diabetes. This is a potential off-label use. But research suggests that ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril may lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, especially in people with high blood pressure who are already at risk. This specific benefit hasn’t been seen with some other blood pressure medications, such as thiazide diuretics and calcium channel blockers.
Experts think that ACE inhibitors may help the body use insulin better and manage blood glucose (sugar), which could explain the reduced risk. Managing high blood pressure is important for diabetes prevention, but lisinopril may offer extra protection for people with risk factors.
4. Protecting the kidneys
If it’s left untreated (or undertreated), high blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in and around the kidneys. This makes it harder for them to filter waste and regulate fluid levels. Over time, this can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Is lisinopril good for your kidneys? Learn about the potential benefits and risks of lisinopril for kidney health.
Lisinopril side effects: Do you feel dizzy after taking lisinopril? Here’s what you should know about lisinopril side effects and how to manage them.
What’s the best time to take lisinopril? And for how long should you expect it to lower your blood pressure? Find answers to these questions, plus expert tips on taking lisinopril.
ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril help lower blood pressure and lessen the strain on your kidneys. They also help reduce protein in the urine (a sign of kidney damage) and may slow the progression of kidney disease, especially in people with diabetes.
Because of these benefits, experts recommend ACE inhibitors including lisinopril for added kidney protection in people with:
CKD and protein in the urine (albuminuria)
High blood pressure and CKD
High blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, especially with evidence of kidney involvement
5. Slowing eye disease in people with diabetes
Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage the small blood vessels in the eyes, leading to eye problems. To lower the risk of eye damage, blood sugar and blood pressure management go hand in hand.
Research suggests that ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril may help slow the progression of eye problems from diabetes (i.e., diabetic retinopathy) better than other blood pressure medications. By reducing pressure in the blood vessels and supporting better blood flow, lisinopril may offer added protection for eye health in people with diabetes.
6. Improving fertility in men
Some early research suggests that lisinopril may improve fertility in men with low sperm counts. This effect may be linked to lisinopril’s action on the renin-angiotensin system, which is involved in sperm development and function.
In a small study, men who took lisinopril 2.5 mg daily had higher sperm counts, better motility, and fewer abnormal sperm compared with those not taking lisinopril. Another study found that combining lisinopril with zinc and folic acid led to greater improvements in sperm count and motility than supplements alone.
These results are promising, but the studies were small. More research is needed to fully understand lisinopril’s potential role in male fertility.
7. Preventing migraines
Lisinopril may offer potential benefits for migraine prevention. In a small study, people who took lisinopril reported fewer migraine days compared with those given a placebo (a pill without medication). Researchers think this effect may be linked to how lisinopril influences blood vessels, inflammation, and chemical signaling in the nervous system.
That said, lisinopril isn’t approved for migraine prevention. While it might be effective, larger studies are needed to confirm this benefit. For now, other preventive medications are typically recommended first.
Frequently asked questions
Most people can take lisinopril without experiencing issues. But side effects are still possible, especially when you start the medication. Common lisinopril side effects include:
Dizziness
Fatigue
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Headache
Less common but potentially serious risks and side effects include:
Chest pain
Increased serum creatinine levels (a measure of kidney function)
Swelling of the face, lips, or tongue (angioedema)
Severe skin rash
Liver damage
Lisinopril begins to lower blood pressure within about 1 hour. Maximum effects are usually seen within 6 hours of taking a dose.
No, lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that lowers blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and reducing fluid retention. Here’s how it compares:
Not a diuretic: Lisinopril doesn’t directly remove water or salt from the body like diuretics (water pills).
Not a beta blocker: Unlike beta blockers, lisinopril doesn’t slow your heart rate.
Not a blood thinner: Lisinopril doesn’t affect blood clotting like blood thinners.
Most people can take lisinopril without experiencing issues. But side effects are still possible, especially when you start the medication. Common lisinopril side effects include:
Dizziness
Fatigue
Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Headache
Less common but potentially serious risks and side effects include:
Chest pain
Increased serum creatinine levels (a measure of kidney function)
Swelling of the face, lips, or tongue (angioedema)
Severe skin rash
Liver damage
Lisinopril begins to lower blood pressure within about 1 hour. Maximum effects are usually seen within 6 hours of taking a dose.
No, lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that lowers blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and reducing fluid retention. Here’s how it compares:
Not a diuretic: Lisinopril doesn’t directly remove water or salt from the body like diuretics (water pills).
Not a beta blocker: Unlike beta blockers, lisinopril doesn’t slow your heart rate.
Not a blood thinner: Lisinopril doesn’t affect blood clotting like blood thinners.
The bottom line
Lisinopril (Zestril, Qbrelis) is an effective treatment option for high blood pressure (hypertension). It also has several other benefits — such as improving survival after a heart attack, reducing heart failure symptoms, and slowing kidney problems. You may be taking lisinopril for more than one reason because of these other benefits.
If you have any questions about why you’re taking lisinopril, speak with your pharmacist or prescriber.
Why trust our experts?
References
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American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. (2025). 11. Chronic kidney disease and risk management: Standards of care in Diabetes—2025. Diabetes Care.
American Heart Association. (2024). High blood pressure and your kidneys.
Chartwell Rx. (2024). Lisinopril tablet [package insert]. DailyMed.
Gianzo, M., et al. (2020). Regulation of male fertility by the renin-angiotensin system. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Ha, H., et al. (2019). Migraine headache prophylaxis. American Family Physician.
International Society of Nephrology. (2021). KDIGO 2021 clinical practice guideline for the management of blood pressure in chronic kidney disease. Kidney International.
International Society of Nephrology. (2024). KDIGO 2024 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease. Kidney International.
Mbah, A. U., et al. (2012). Low-dose lisinopril in normotensive men with idiopathic oligospermia and infertility: A 5-year randomized, controlled, crossover pilot study. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Nazarzadeh, M., et al. (2021). Blood pressure lowering and risk of new-onset Type 2 diabetes: An individual participant data meta-analysis. The Lancet.
Noto, H., et al. (2013). Effect of calcium channel blockers on incidence of diabetes: A meta-analysis. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity.
Schrader, H., et al. (2001). Prophylactic treatment of migraine with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril): Randomised, placebo controlled, crossover study. The BMJ.
Walling, A. D. (2001). Lisinopril: A new prophylactic agent for migraine headache. American Family Physician.
Wang, B., et al. (2015). Effects of RAS inhibitors on diabetic retinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet.
Momoniat, T., et al. (2019). ACE inhibitors and ARBs: Managing potassium and renal function. Current Drug Therapy.
